Category Archives: forthcoming story in walking dead

“The Walking Dead” protagonist Rick Grimes will be donning a new police uniform in “Hope,” an upcoming storyline that puts the cast of the book in an unusually civilized location. Over the last several issues, Rick and his fellow survivors have been traveling to Washington, D.C. in hopes of finding salvation from the zombie crisis – though none of them could’ve anticipated what they’d find near the nation’s capital.

“D.C. is going to be somewhat of a utopia compared to what they have been living in,” Kirkman revealed. “They’re going to find a pocket of civilization that is pretty much intact. It’s somewhere on the outskirts of D.C., a suburban area that has pretty much walled an area off. We’re going to meet those people, and our characters are going to intermingle with their society. There’s conflict that arises from all of this, obviously, but there’s going to be at least one issue where they’re drinking tea!”

After spending a multitude of issues in the safe confines of a prison, it might appear that “The Walking Dead” is retreading old ground with its move to a closed-off utopian society, but Kirkman suggested that readers give the new direction a chance. “I imagine that this’ll be another case where people say, ‘I don’t know how he’s gonna pull this one off. How’s he going to keep this going?’ I’ve been hearing that since issue #8,” he argued. “On the surface, I can see how people might think, ‘Yeah, they’re going to be totally safe now!’ I’d just say, trust me. There’s a multitude of story avenues that I can go through with this set up. It’s a logical evolution of the series for me. It’s something that I’ve had planned for a good long while. It’s going to be cool, and I think that in reading the book for as long as people have, being walled in with a bunch of normal people in a seemingly normal, protected area may not end up being as great as it seems. There are problems that could arise from that.”

What kind of problems, you ask? For starters, it might not be so easy for our heroes to adjust to a quasi-normal society given what they’ve been through. “Imagine living life for over a year where the only rule was survive,” Kirkman argued. “Now, they’re coming into an area where there are vastly more rules. They may have grown so accustomed to their way of living that going back to normal society could seem completely alien to them. It’s going to be a rough transition, and some people are going to transition better than others.”

Additionally, the survivors won’t be getting totally complacent, as zombies will remain a part of the book. “There’s gonna be supply runs,” he revealed. “Everyone’s going to get a job. Some of those people’s jobs will be expanding the safe zone wall. So there’s going to be construction working against the zombies. There’s going to be dangers, everything that comes with trying to survive in a walled-in society. You’re going to have to eventually go out of there – it’s just that when you’re done going out, you get to go home and have a dinner party. Part of the conflict coming up is going to be, ‘Is Rick double dipping? Did he bite that chip and put it back in the dip?!’ These are the things they’re going to have to deal with again!”

If the “The Walking Chip” sounds a tad stale to you, at least Kirkman is enthralled by the idea. With both “Invincible” and “The Walking Dead,” Kirkman said that he’s constantly developing new stories that excite him. “I’ve always wanted to do long, sprawling runs on books, and it just so happens that it’s happened on two creator-owned books that I control completely,” he said. “Being able to ride that out for the long haul and lay out these choices and turns, do everything I can to keep things interesting and compelling, I only get more excited. My excitement level is as high as it’s ever been, and I’m continually coming up with where the next place to go is, what the next arc in the book is.”

As you can see, I am probably playing it safe and not going for any bold picks – Dales exit has been telegraphed for the last few issues, I reckon Andrea will fall with him, Glenn is expendable as he is never really at the forefront… Rosita and Morgan are probably good outside bets, though I think Kirkman will not want to waste such an interesting character as Morgan, especially when he held him in reserve for 5 years and only recently brought him back, with the tragedy of losing his son. Then again, he might well dispense with him. It is that unpredictable. That is why he is at 5-1. There is a lot of mileage left in the mystery that is Dr Eugene Porter, and Abraham and Carl are virtually guaranteed safety, as they are the most interesting and fulfilling characters in the series at the minute – the way Kirkman has written Carl further, deeper into the story is quite brilliant, the child turning into an embittered, embattled survivor before our eyes. The difference between him and Sophia (who is still largely mute and maybe even more of a child than ever, regressing further back after all that has happened) is more than a chasm. Their relationship is more protector / protected than childhood friends.

But….if another child goes (and lets face it, there are only 2 left at the minute) it will be her – though I doubt Kirkman will do that. For now. Rick is a little less safe than Abraham and Carl, but should make it. Michonne is the one that perplexes me most. Largely absent from the main story since the Prison siege and the Woodbury attack, she seems to be waiting to be struck out of the series, just treading water…..but surely Kirkman would not get rid of such a fantastic and strong female character (especially if Andrea goes)?

Is Father Gabriel Stokes all he seems? This is another fascinating question. Personally, I think he is there as a plant amongst the group, a beacon for the Hunters. He could fall quickly if he is identified as an imposter. Lets face it, Rick, Carl and Abraham do not waste any time in getting rid of potential threats – there is no hand wringing or moral quandry. He could be one of the first to go. My prediction is that Sgt Ford does the deed.

heck, I know I have already put this in a post detailing the big comic releases this week, but it deserves an entry of its own. The Walking Dead #62 is out this week, and the cover proudly proclaims this issue as the start of the ‘Fear The Hunters’ arc (this issue being the first of 5). I can hardly wait, the excitement mounts – this should be SUPERB. Anyway, here it is, a 5 page preview, and the action kicks off pretty much immediately (Carl has now become a central character in a big way, and that Reverend? You know he is no good….) – follow the link below to go to CBR;

So we know that the arc is roughly 5 issues long now, and the Hunters seem to be doing what they do for sport. Also, seems like it could be the end of the line for Andrea and Dale (and to be fair, Dales imminent demise has been hinted at by his recent behaviour). Also, the (remainder) of the group should it DC in 2010….

We were recently treated to the final spoiler image in the run up to the forthcoming ‘Hunters’ arc, starting in Walking Dead #62;

Look closer though, and you may see some clues as to the fate of some of the characters. NOTE – this is not fact, merely guesswork, speculation. In the next picture I identify 3 images (circled) that lead me to believe that the Hunters are wearing ‘trophies’ of their ‘prey’. The ‘prey’ being Rick, Carl, Abraham and the rest of their band of survivors;

In this great new interview we learn some more about the ‘Hunters’ in the forthcoming arc (starts #62), such as the fact that they are going to be ‘worse’ than Woodbury. There is also a preview of (what I assume to be) issue #62…and that contains good stuff like this;